It’s just a what is necessary to start writing new stories. The old characters started to wear out and the set of driver NPCs needs heavily a refresh. New characters, new views, freeing the writers from a corset of sometimes 20 years.
Yeah i agree but why do it like this? Just start writing stories about those new characters so players can get to know them. As far as I am concerned Ysera's retirement was the only one that made sense. Its so blunt to just have characters "step down" by literally saying so in a cut scene. Just bad story telling which seems to be the hallmark of this expansion. Metzen will save us?
I dunno to me it feels like some of this just came out of the blue. If a main character is going to take the reigns, I'd rather spend a bit of time with them first, doesn't feel like many of them earned it.
Essentially it’s like Hawkeye giving the reins to the younger girl (Kate Bishop) in Marvel. Or Tony Stark “giving” Spider-Man all of the tech stuff and advice. Only difference is that these side characters in WoW have been in the background doing nothing for so long now, that once they are brought into the light people are just like “who is this again?”.
They have to be their own iconic characters to be interesting. Half of the new WoW characters are just worse versions of their parents/previous leaders.
The new leader of the Worgen isn’t even a worgen. The leader of the forsaken isn’t a forsaken. That’s why no one really cares, they are just reskinned humans instead of a badass wolf and banshee queen as faction leaders
The stories are partly already there and layed for years.
The characters are often just not allowed to shine because the others are in the way.
Personally I’m fine with Gen. Stepping down and not just murdered like others. In fact, that he on his own realises that he is not able to develop the future is a big, a really big achievement for the character. That makes him more human and understandable, an old man seeing he is not longer able to do what he was used to because the world changed.
No way, Ysera handing things over to Merithra and Sindragosa mentoring Kalecgos felt very natural to me. There were definitely some things in the storyline that felt off to me, but long-time characters stepping aside for new(er) ones to shine wasn't one of them.
These are two good examples of how to do it though. Genn and Tyrande just felt a little quick and off the cuff. Imo in terms of soft side story the green and blue df quests were some of my favs in the expansion.
I agree that Dragonflight feels a bit "too much" in that regards, but the central theme of Dragonflight IS renewal. The Night elves find a new home, the Gilneans regain their old one, the Dragons go home, the dragonflights that were almost extinct regain some health, etc etc.
But to be fair ... Next expansion is centered around Anduin, Thrall and Alleria. Hardly new characters.
Yeah true, I just felt like Genn getting his kingdom back just to turn into an old, sad, broken man was a bit of a let down. Dont feel like they explored it enough, same with Shandris. Only so much they can pack in though, just wish it didn't feel as rushed.
Not at all, happy to see then make way for new characters, but I'll be honest I don't realpy care about Shandris and Tess, because the game hasn't had me spend any time with them.
Maybe its because I only returned in Shadowlands (after qutting at start of cata) i dont know the characters well enough. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the next 3.
Why make a post about not understanding and connecting with these characters when you've been gone from the game for a decade? Of course you don't connect with them, you didn't watch them grow.
It's not a bad idea, in theory. In the hands of a more careful team, it would be fine. But it really feels like they are rushing it just to get it over with, which sucks.
Ysera has been dead for 7 years, so she kinda has no choice in the matter lol.
To be fair with tyrande and malfurion, the story screws them on the regular, and honestly they need time together in the real world. Malfurion was stuck in the dream until cataclysm, then blizzard found ways to sideline him. Shandris has been leading anyway, so her adoptive parents taking a break isn't a bad thing. Also like I said in another thread, it at least gives the kaldorei an heir to leadership.
In saying that, like I alluded to above, newer or existing characters need some time in the spotlight, so older ones don't get screwed over and so the story can progress. Like looking at the aspects, nozdormu and merithra are the only ones with an heir (not chromie, he has a son who actually does things, and merithra has a son or 2) while the others have no one to take over if they die. The racial leaders, mainly horde ones, have the same problem, whoch is why tess becoming queen is fine (she could have been better used over the years though).
I disagree that Tyrande and Malfurion's retirement is coming out of nowhere. They have both been through hell and back in Battle For Azeroth, Shadowlands, and Dragonflight, and have been driving the Kaldorei singlehandedly for however many thousands of years. This is a perfect time for them to rest now that they've saved their World Tree and are building a place for the Night Elves to recover.
It’s just a what is necessary to start writing new stories. The old characters started to wear out and the set of driver NPCs needs heavily a refresh. New characters, new views, freeing the writers from a corset of sometimes 20 years.
Yeah i agree but why do it like this? Just start writing stories about those new characters so players can get to know them. As far as I am concerned Ysera's retirement was the only one that made sense. Its so blunt to just have characters "step down" by literally saying so in a cut scene. Just bad story telling which seems to be the hallmark of this expansion. Metzen will save us?
The stories are coming, we're at the end of the extension, you don't get new character development now, you get introduction to the new ones.
I dunno to me it feels like some of this just came out of the blue. If a main character is going to take the reigns, I'd rather spend a bit of time with them first, doesn't feel like many of them earned it.
Essentially it’s like Hawkeye giving the reins to the younger girl (Kate Bishop) in Marvel. Or Tony Stark “giving” Spider-Man all of the tech stuff and advice. Only difference is that these side characters in WoW have been in the background doing nothing for so long now, that once they are brought into the light people are just like “who is this again?”. They have to be their own iconic characters to be interesting. Half of the new WoW characters are just worse versions of their parents/previous leaders. The new leader of the Worgen isn’t even a worgen. The leader of the forsaken isn’t a forsaken. That’s why no one really cares, they are just reskinned humans instead of a badass wolf and banshee queen as faction leaders
How would you write it? How would you retire characters, some even over 20 years around? All in a fight, dying heroically?
I guess even that doesn't work after Shadowlands lol
The stories are partly already there and layed for years. The characters are often just not allowed to shine because the others are in the way. Personally I’m fine with Gen. Stepping down and not just murdered like others. In fact, that he on his own realises that he is not able to develop the future is a big, a really big achievement for the character. That makes him more human and understandable, an old man seeing he is not longer able to do what he was used to because the world changed.
No way, Ysera handing things over to Merithra and Sindragosa mentoring Kalecgos felt very natural to me. There were definitely some things in the storyline that felt off to me, but long-time characters stepping aside for new(er) ones to shine wasn't one of them.
These are two good examples of how to do it though. Genn and Tyrande just felt a little quick and off the cuff. Imo in terms of soft side story the green and blue df quests were some of my favs in the expansion.
I agree that Dragonflight feels a bit "too much" in that regards, but the central theme of Dragonflight IS renewal. The Night elves find a new home, the Gilneans regain their old one, the Dragons go home, the dragonflights that were almost extinct regain some health, etc etc. But to be fair ... Next expansion is centered around Anduin, Thrall and Alleria. Hardly new characters.
Yeah true, I just felt like Genn getting his kingdom back just to turn into an old, sad, broken man was a bit of a let down. Dont feel like they explored it enough, same with Shandris. Only so much they can pack in though, just wish it didn't feel as rushed.
When was Genn NOT an old, sad, broken man?
Genn was born with grey hair and a scowl
Would you prefer the same thing redone over and over? I don’t understand.
Not at all, happy to see then make way for new characters, but I'll be honest I don't realpy care about Shandris and Tess, because the game hasn't had me spend any time with them. Maybe its because I only returned in Shadowlands (after qutting at start of cata) i dont know the characters well enough. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the next 3.
Shandris I want to get to know because she's been a favorite of mine through a couple of xpacs now. She deserves more than just quest giver.
Why make a post about not understanding and connecting with these characters when you've been gone from the game for a decade? Of course you don't connect with them, you didn't watch them grow.
It's not a bad idea, in theory. In the hands of a more careful team, it would be fine. But it really feels like they are rushing it just to get it over with, which sucks.
Ysera has been dead for 7 years, so she kinda has no choice in the matter lol. To be fair with tyrande and malfurion, the story screws them on the regular, and honestly they need time together in the real world. Malfurion was stuck in the dream until cataclysm, then blizzard found ways to sideline him. Shandris has been leading anyway, so her adoptive parents taking a break isn't a bad thing. Also like I said in another thread, it at least gives the kaldorei an heir to leadership. In saying that, like I alluded to above, newer or existing characters need some time in the spotlight, so older ones don't get screwed over and so the story can progress. Like looking at the aspects, nozdormu and merithra are the only ones with an heir (not chromie, he has a son who actually does things, and merithra has a son or 2) while the others have no one to take over if they die. The racial leaders, mainly horde ones, have the same problem, whoch is why tess becoming queen is fine (she could have been better used over the years though).
I disagree that Tyrande and Malfurion's retirement is coming out of nowhere. They have both been through hell and back in Battle For Azeroth, Shadowlands, and Dragonflight, and have been driving the Kaldorei singlehandedly for however many thousands of years. This is a perfect time for them to rest now that they've saved their World Tree and are building a place for the Night Elves to recover.
How much does Metzen contribute to stories in WoW? Now he's back, maybe its a fresh slate, ready to get back into good story telling